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August 4, 2011

G110: Spiders 7, Red Sox 3

Erik Bedard (5-7-3-0-5, 70) left the game with the score tied 3-3. Franklin Morales threw eight pitches and Cleveland led 5-3. Travis Hafner doubled to deep center on a full-count pitch and Carlos Santana belted Morales's next offering onto the roof of the camera platform in dead center. The Spiders added two runs against Andrew Miller in the seventh and ninth.

Boston took a quick lead against old friend Justin Masterson (6-5-3-1-9, 118), getting three of their five hits in the game. Jacoby Ellsbury singled, took second on Dustin Pedroia's grounder to third, and scored on Adrian Gonzalez's double off the Wall in left-center. After Kevin Youkilis struck out, David Ortiz knocked in Evil Bert with a single.

The Red Sox's other two hits were Josh Reddick's solo home run in the fourth and Ellsbury's fifth-inning single. ... Bedard retired the side in order in the first, fourth, and fifth innings, allowing his seven hits (all singles) in the second and third frames.

The Yankees beat the White Sox 7-2. The two rivals will meet tomorrow night in Boston tied for first place in the AL East, with identical records: 68-42.

Bedard makes his Red Sox debut. He gave up five runs in 1.1 innings last Friday in his first start since coming off the disabled list (knee strain). Terry Francona says the Red Sox will hold him to 75-80 pitches tonight.

[People have] got to remember that this is his second start [back]. He probably should be almost still on rehab. He went a month without pitching. Whether the media, the fans, want to be patient, that's your guys' prerogative. We need to be [patient] because what we want to do is balance winning now, which is important, [with getting] this guy really locked in for what we want to do going forward.

Before Bedard went on the DL, he had a 3.00 ERA over 15 starts. He had allowed three or fewer runs in every one of his previous 12 starts (April 20 to June 27).

Masterson has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his last 11 starts (71.1 innings, 1.76 ERA). His ERA for the season is 2.56.

If Masterson gets shelled, I'd actually feel kind of bad. I hope the Sox win, but only by a marginal score. Or maybe Masterson only gives up 2 and then the Sox tee off on the Indians' pen. Something like that.